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    Carmela's Pasta Shop

    4.5 (41 reviews)
    InexpensivePasta Shops
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    Lunch Sausage and Spinach Ravioli with Meat Sauce
    Jason P.

    Carmela's Pasta Shop on the Silas Deane is a unique business. They sell different types of fresh and frozen pasta and prepared meals such as different ravioli, tortellini, lasagna, meatballs, etc. They also have a small functional seating area and will make this food, salads, sandwiches, etc. for takeout or dine in lunch. I've been to Carmela's many times over the years I've lived in Newington. It doesn't feel like Carmela has aged at all in that time by the way. She's there every time. Friendly and energetic. I've bought pasta to make at home and oven ready meals. Although I've enjoyed that portion of her business and would recommend it, I'm going to focus on the lunch business for this review. Today, I ordered sausage and spinach ravioli in meat sauce and ate in the store. The food was good. The sauce was solid. The ravioli were well cooked. But what's really remarkable is the price. Many area Italian places charge more and give you more food than you can eat. There's a time and place for that. Carmela's gives you an appropriate amount of good food at lunch for a good price. I attached a pic of the current menu. You'll note my ravioli dish, and the vast majority of other dishes, cost $9.95. Who charges $9.95 for anything anymore? For workday lunch, I'd rather just pay for what I need than have a ton of leftovers. If you live in the area, I'd recommend keeping Carmela's in your plans. Four Stars

    Alex P. T.

    Ciao, Italia! Carmela, the shop and the actual person, is just the best. I had such an awesome time talking with her today as she helped me pick some of the most popular meals in the shop. This was my first time there and it will definitely be in rotation when I am driving down the Silas Deane Highway again. There is fresh pasta for sale and they also serve lunch from 11 AM - 3 PM Monday through Friday. I definitely would love to try the Chicken Cutlet Grinder next time. So many different pasta's to choose from: Cheese Tortellini, Meat Tortellini, Rainbow Cheese Tortellini, Fettucini, Spaghetti, Linguini, Angel Hair...yum! I went with the Fettucini. I also picked up a side of meat sauce. There are so many great sauces to choose from too! Pesto, alfredo, clam...just to name a few. I had their Stuffed Shells once before. It was part of a housewarming meal from a close Italian friend of mine. She came over with them when I had just moved into my new home. I will always remember how awesome they tasted as a first meal in the house. I ordered them again tonight and they were just as delicious as they were that first night in the house. Definitely made me smile thinking about all the hard work it takes turning a house into a home. Food can bring back so many memories and feelings. The Stuffed Shells definitely did that for me tonight. I also bought some Italian bread and a Sfogliate- a shell-shaped filled Italian pastry. The pastry's texture resembles stacked leaves. Almost like a Lobster Tail Pastry if you have ever had one. It was crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, sweet and delicious. Oh! I almost forgot the Spinach and Sausage Raviolis. I can't wait to try those tomorrow! Overall- if you are in need of a few Italian meals, a special meal for the night or even some delicious desserts- Carmela has you covered. It was really so nice getting the time to talk with her too. I hope you do when you visit as well. Ciao!

    Pastas and meats
    Dan R.

    After our breakfast in Hartford, we wanted to combine our trip with something nearby that would be fun. We decided on checking out one of the many nearby pasta shops for some carby goodness. Yelp led me to Carmela's Pasta Shop on the Silas Deane Highway, and when we drove up and saw their distinctive red, white and green sign, I had a tinge of regret because I have literally driven by Carmela's hundreds of times without a second thought. Well, shame on me for not stopping here earlier. We loved every minute we spent in the store, checking out the refrigerated cases full of entrees and sauces and pastas and a million other things. We loved chatting with the lady in charge, what a joy she was to shoot the breeze with. We bought three things - a pound of ziti ($4.99), a container of pesto sauce ($6.49), and a huge container of homemade meat and cheese lasagna ($14.49). On Saturday night we cooked up the full pound of ziti and combined half of it with some leftover meatballs for our first Carmela's dinner. Honestly the pasta was excellent. It was thicker than what you get out of a box, and had a really nice taste and texture. It's hard to explain how good it was, but really -it was excellent. On Sunday night we combined the other half of the ziti with their pesto sauce, some leftover rotisserie chicken, baby spinach, and broccoli into one delicious green casserole. Tuesday night we fired up that lasagna and after a few forkfuls, my wife looked at me and said ''what do you think?'' The truth is we were both flabbergasted at how disappointing it was. It dished up flat as a pancake- a big collapsed and formless puddle of ricotta cheese with a few shreds of meat and very little pasta. I will eat almost anything, but I didn't come close to finishing this. Extremely disappointing to say the least. The pound of ziti was outstanding. The container of pesto sauce was outstanding. Let's leave it at that.

    Biscuit
    Anne C.

    Who would have thought that a non-descript building on the SIlas Dean Highway in Wethersfield could hold so much good food, but it does. Enter these doors and what awaits you is something that is harder to find these days in a society where - quick and ready is the norm. Think fresh linguine - but not just semolia pasta. On my most recent foray trays of squid ink and saffron pasts waited in the many coolers for customers to snatch up to create a version of Little Italy in their own home. But the feast does not stop there - freezer cases filled with shelves of pasta - from meat and cheese tortellini, gnocchi, and what I always go for - the ravioli. But not just your standard meat and cheese ravioli (which are tasty) - think Gorgonzola, lobster, sausage and spinach, roasted vegetable, butternut squash, and pumpkin. And to round out your meal - make sure you try some of their freshly made sauces and homemade garlic bread, which I recommend dipping in their pesto sauce. Heaven in a bite The owner - although not there as often anymore - was there on my most recent visit and gave me some great tips on the types of sauces I should make to accompany my ravioli - they were all spot on. Additionally - they sell a variety of sandwiches, side dishes, and other Italian staples making it easy, to pick up on the way home from work after a long day, pop in the oven for dinner, and be soon enveloped in Italian comfort.

    I happened to pass by the restaurant while traveling for business and I'm so glad I stopped. Traditional homemade italian goodness. Food for the stomach and soul. Literally took me back home. Plus the owners are the nicest people. Happily bought a lasagna to take home as well. Definitely will be back whenever I'm around.

    Chris P.

    Amazing home made pasta also a smile on Carmela's face and the place is always clean. Love this place

    My tasty meal, served to me minutes after walking in the door!

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    There are tons of choices in the freezer case and refrigerator. The meat tortellini was fantastic in my homemade soup. Yum!!

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    8 years ago

    The chicken cutlet grinder is out of this world! So good and fresh, best I have ever had!

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    14 years ago

    My husband and I went for lunch it was excellent! We couldn't leave without buying items to take home. We will be back for more!

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    16 years ago

    very nice ravioli...delicate pasta,, variety of nice filings, esp. fond of the meat. The lasagna is also nice

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Carmela's Pasta Shop

    Review Highlights - Carmela's Pasta Shop

    I've had the ravioli from Carmela's several times, and it's easily some of the best ravioli I've ever had.

    Mentioned in 10 reviews

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    La Rosa's Marketplace - Eggplant panini

    La Rosa's Marketplace

    4.6(36 reviews)
    1.5 miSouth End
    $$

    "Rose darling come to me All I ask of you…read moreIs make my wildest dreams come true" (Steely Dan) You probably don't need a PHD in linguistics to surmise that the Italian words "La Rosa" translates into the English words "The Rose". And if your wildest dreams happen to revolve around Italian comfort foods and well stacked sandwiches, well, do I have a place to make those wildest dreams come true for you! La Rosa is your quintessential Italian deli with dozens of grinders, paninis, wraps, salads, soups and a daily hot bar of pasta and chicken entrees. We ordered a grilled Panino Melenzani ($12) with eggplant, tomato, fresh mozzarella, basil and olive oil. It was grilled right in front of our eyes, so it was as fresh as could be. It had plenty of tender sliced eggplant, yummy cheese and fresh tomatoes. I went with my usual, an Italian Combo (half size for $14) stacked a mile high with Ham, Turkey, Genoa, Mortadella, Capicola, and Provolone with lettuce, tomato, onions, and peppers on a fresh loaf of Italian bread. It was superb, and the portion size was so generous that it lasted me for three lunches. As we were paying, we spied some home-made cookies by the register and grabbed an oatmeal and a chocolate chip to take home. Everything ran $32 for a ton of wonderful Italian goodness. We didn't get a chance to check out the hot bar. It wasn't open today because LaRosa's Marketplace was closing early for personal reasons. But I promise you, the next time we visit we'll leave with one of their chicken or pasta entrees. We love our Italian delis, and LaRosa's has immediately shot up into our top tier.

    Delicious sausage grinder! The sausage is really good as it doesn't have a lot of fat to it…read more Perfect grinder bread. The best sauce that reminds me of my nonnas!

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    La Rosa's Marketplace
    La Rosa's Marketplace
    La Rosa's Marketplace - Eggplant panini

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    Sardilli Produce & Dairy

    Sardilli Produce & Dairy

    5.0(3 reviews)
    1.8 mi

    I love Sardilli's produce and dinner boxes! I don't want to say anything good has come out of the…read morepandemic, but in a way, it's never been easier to be a consumer. Businesses like Sardilli's make Covid life much easier by bringing us top notch groceries in a safe setting and making dining at home all the time even fun. Sardilli's, which supplies restaurants in normal times, has pivoted to provide household consumers with CSA-style boxes of produce, dairy, and meat available for pickup weekly on Wednesday mornings. You can choose from a variety of options: fruit only, fruit and vegetables, berries only (which is great for my berry-eating two-year old), a dairy box, and meat box. Most innovative is the dinner box. Sardilli's partners with local restaurants to produce a family style meal for four for, I think, about $55. The Take 5 (a Hartford business lunch/ catering joint) box was a tremendous deal and was delicious--it included salad, Italian wedding soup, a rich and complicated chicken/ eggplant main course, pasta, and biscotti. The Max Downtown box--which sells out really fast--was also delicious and a great deal. The produce boxes also contain high-quality produce which is much more reliable than the quality you get from grocery store delivery or curbside pickup. The whole pickup process is smooth and efficient. You can find the weekly box contents listed on the Sardilli site or on instagram or Facebook.

    During the Covid closings, Sardilli's rose to the occasion and offered veggie, fruit, veggie/fruit…read morecombo boxes and more recently their fish box. The curbside pickup in Hartford (Locust Street) was so organized, seamless and safe. I was in and out of the lot in under 5 minutes. The on line ordering was easy and I got everything promised. The veggies I received were fresh and lasted 2 weeks in my fridge. The fish was excellent. I believe they have a dairy box too. I am thrilled to have this option.

    Photos
    Sardilli Produce & Dairy - My bounty unpacked from the box.  All well frozen.

    My bounty unpacked from the box. All well frozen.

    Sardilli Produce & Dairy - All orders come in sealed boxes.   Contents on the outside.

    All orders come in sealed boxes. Contents on the outside.

    Sardilli Produce & Dairy - Individually wrapped tuna and sword fish. Portion sizes.

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    Carmine's

    Carmine's

    4.3(199 reviews)
    2.6 mi
    $$

    I'm back! The restaurant is located on 389 Main St. in East Hartford, CT. It's been a few months…read moresince I was last here (December) which is a crime. Carmine's is a fresh from scratch kitchen that is ALWAYS open. Their appetizers, pastas, entrees and desserts combine old-world traditional Italian flavor with a modern flair for presentation, and the freshest ingredients around. Menu staples like rigatoni bolognese, fettuccine carbonara and chicken Milanese are coupled with unique recipes like chicken ala vodka and toasted almond cake. They've staffed the kitchen with a dream team of chefs and you can tell instantly! They also do parties, catering and online ordering/delivery. The restaurant is well known for its live music. There is never a cover and parking is always free. This place and produces absolutely amazing food and drinks. I have noticed quite a few menu changes. The Happy Hour menu has expanded. It's also no longer all day Monday. The main menu no longer has prices on featured drinks (although that's the tre d these days). Note that the Bar Bites menu is available open to close! The Main Menu looks the same although there is a new Wine List (that's a first here). The music is very pleasant and the right volume level. It's always a big cool in here too. For my first drink, I'm having a Pratt N Whiskey. This is made with Woodford Reserve Bourbon, sweet vermouth, red wine and sour mix. It's definitely an unusual drink. It's not garnished, but it tastes great. The wine sticks out for sure. It's clearly a shaken drink not often found with a whiskey component except for maybe Whiskey Sours. For my first item, I'm having the House Salad made with spring mix, basil, tomatoes, julienned (thinly sliced) carrots, cucumbers and house red wine vinaigrette dressing. This is a big portion! I love this dressing! This tastes great! For my next item, I'm trying the Carmine's Secret Tenderloins. These are off of Carmine's "Secret Menu." They are pan seared, caramelized chicken tenderloins, made with wine, olive oil, cracked black pepper (dried black peppercorns broken into coarse, uneven pieces), kosher salt (a coarse, flaky salt named for its use in the Jewish koshering process of drawing blood from meat), shredded Parmesan and a very special "secret sauce." I'm curious as to what this sauce tastes like. Wow! Nice presentation! These are good! I love that sauce! There's a good crowd in here (20 people). Only one worker (bartender and server). She's damn good at what she does! For my next drink, I'm having a Connecticut Cosmo. This is made with Litchfield Vodka, Wild Moon Cranberry, Triple Sec and lime juice. This vodka is the Gold Medal Winner 2018 & 2019 at the New York International Spirits Competition. Silver Medal Winner at the 2017 San Francisco World Spirits Competition!Our Gluten-Free Batchers' Vodka is distilled from luscious corn grown during the beautiful summer months in Somers, CT. We distill 4 ¾ times and use a gravity-fed charcoal filter that takes 12 hours to filter 100 gallons. The longer the vodka sits on the charcoal, the more impurities are removed, which creates an incredibly smooth taste. Bottled at 80 proof. It is impeccably clean, slightly sweet, velvety smooth mouthfeel and sweet buttery overtones. It's smooth with a warm finish with subtle notes of sweet ripe corn at the end. I actually sat down next to the owner of the Distillery at a wine pairing dinner at Flemings in West Hartford about 7-8 years ago. This looks nice! Wow! This has great flavor! For my next item, I'm having the Rigatoni Matinara. Rigatoni is a large, tube-shaped pasta with ridges on the outside and straight-cut ends. Marinara sauce is a tomato sauce usually made with tomatoes, garlic, herbs, and onions. I don't eat pasta all that often. This will serve as my appetizer before I hit the main course. This is a BIG portion! It is very good! For my entree I'm having the Pan Seared Salmon which is "hand cut" salmon with zesty orange glaze served over mashed potatoes with seasonal vegetables (broccoli). Add LOTS of crushed red pepper. Nod that's "LOTS." This is spicy! My kinda spicy! The plate is nice and hot! I like the presentation. This tastes great! What a great meal here!

    I can't believe we were charged for bread - twice! We got a small half of a loaf (not even as big…read moreas a half grinder roll) and asked for more. Never have I ever paid for bread in a restaurant and we were asked if we wanted bread - no mention of we had to pay extra for it. Side salads are an extra charge too. If you get a chicken meal expect it to have a very charred taste to it. We found the food to be middle of the road and not very big portions considering we usually take food home from other places. There was a birthday party going on in the restaurant, not in a separate room. Not that it bothered us, but it was extremely loud in there and it seemed to bother the table next to us. Don't expect a quiet dinner in this place. Getting the attention of the waitress was impossible. I had to stand at the bar and wait to pay our bill. The party had the entrance blocked because they were filming and we had to exit through a side entrance, which didn't bother us, but not the best from a safety point of view. Do we recommend the place - no. Will we go back - no.

    Photos
    Carmine's - Bar area

    Bar area

    Carmine's - Steak Tacos

    Steak Tacos

    Carmine's - Steak tacos with salsa and garlic aioli

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    Carmela's Pasta Shop - pastashops - Updated May 2026

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